


Repair

by ChestnutBrumby



Series: Sweet Dreams - Scarlet Vision ficlets [17]
Category: Captain America (Movies), MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Broody Vision, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Caught in the Rain, Determined Bucky, F/M, Group dynamics, Other, Overprotective Steve, Peacemaker Sam, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Romance, Steve will loose his patience if everyone keeps sneaking off in secret missions without him, These two seriously what am I meant to do with them?, Vision is a sweetheart, Wakandan nature walk, Wanda takes care of Vision, overprotective Clint, scarlet vision - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-24 04:24:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7493727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChestnutBrumby/pseuds/ChestnutBrumby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"But you needed something more than a man. That's why you let Stark take the scepter."<br/>"I didn't expect..." </p><p>Vision begins to recover from his ordeal with Wanda at his side. Even though they are together, there's still things that need to be said between them, repairs that need to be set in motion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Captain America: Civil War. In the Sweet Dreams series this chronologically follows "If you need us" and "Fall in love too easily".

Wanda had rarely felt happier than the first morning she woke up and found herself lying in Vision's arms. He was stroking her hair, gently burying his fingers in the softness of it, heedless to the fact it was hopelessly tangled by sleep.  
  
"Good morning." He greeted her when she tilted her head up to look into his eyes, reassuring herself that she hadn't merely conjured up a new reality from one of her dreams. They were his eyes though - filled with the same understanding and sincerity she remembered.  
  
"Morning, Vis." She stretched, wincing when her hands and wrists emerged from under the thick blanket to the still chilly bite of the morning air, and promptly cuddled back against Vision. "Do we have to get up?" She sighed, pressing her head against the curve of his shoulderblade and neck.  
  
"I profess to feel little urgency in rising." Vision told her, hand continuing its path down the back of her head, reducing Wanda right back to a sleepy mindset she had no desire to fight off.    
  
"Even though you were stuck here with me all night, not sleeping?"  
  
"I couldn't feel any more rested, believe me. Besides which, 'stuck' is the last phrase that I would have used." He replied, and Wanda grinned at her good fortune at falling in love with a man like him.  
  
At length she reluctantly loosened her hold on him and sat up, shivering. "Though I would vastly prefer staying here cuddling you for the better part of the morning, we have to face the others sometime, and I could do with a good breakfast. I'm going to shower first though." She leaned over, planted a kiss on his forehead, and made a dash to the bathroom. Vision had to smile when she shrieked complaint at the coldness of the tiled floor on bare feet.  
  
He smile faded quickly though. He was in no rush to rise, to leave the dreamlike room that smelled of Wanda's perfume and coconut moisturizer (a tiny, comforting fact that she still used the same brand here that she had at home) and face the rest of the Avengers. He was still greatly troubled by the gaps in his memory after the NSA had conducted their 'research' on him. Although the previous night holding a sleeping Wanda in his arms had passed peacefully and without incident, he was still suffering spells of dizziness, painful flares of heat behind his eyes and temples - headaches, Wanda had supplied the word - not to mention the fact that he had a five-inch incision that had been carved into his leg that was still bothering him.  
  
He checked the bandage and fiddled with the edges for a moment before catching himself. Being injured wasn't the only thing troubling him. Though he knew he had made the right decision in choosing to come after Wanda, he was worrying about the repercussions of his actions.  
  
Tony was his main concern, even though the pair had never really been able to bridge the distance between them that had always troubled Vision. He didn't know weather it was residual traces of the affection Jarvis had felt or a more primal instinct to care for a person who had a hand in his creation, but either way, Vision understood exactly what a difficult time Tony Stark was having - separated from Pepper, estranged from his former teammates.  
  
The worry seemed natural enough, but it was, at times, overwhelming.  
  
He worried over the accords, and what might happen in the future when the world needed the Avengers - as Nick Fury had always said it would - and prohibited half of them from doing their duty. He was frustrated by his own attempts to find a solution to this problem, only to come up with nothing.  
  
It had been pleasant to see Steve, Sam and Natasha again the previous day, even though Steve had been in a rather ranting state over Wanda and Bucky's desertion. Since it had been to save him, Vision could hardly protest, though he did sympathize with the Captain.  
  
Scott, one of the newcomers to Steve's ranks, seemed an affable enough man, easygoing and accepting, telling Vision that he was his young daughter's 'second favourite' Avenger. Vision had tilted his head a little at that. "Who is the first?"  
  
"Wanda, of course." Scott laughed.      
  
Though he had spoken little to them and it was early days to pass judgement, Vision was uneasy about both T'Challa and Bucky, though for very different reasons. T'Challa eyed him with muted suspicion, reminding Vision that the vibranium which had been used in his own creation had been stolen from this very country. There was no hostility there - yet - but Vision sensed the Wakandan King was not somebody he wanted as an enemy.  
   
He wasn't sure how much of his hesitation in regards to the former Winter Soldier was due to the fact he associated the man with his own memory loss. He had only become aware of it after coming face to face with Bucky, and he wasn't any closer to accepting it now than he was then. Primarily his concern about Bucky was of a different source; since the former Winter Solider was still an unstable element, and it appeared that he and Wanda had grown close, regarding each other as surrogate siblings. Vision didn't know why the fact surprised him so... Bucky would never take Pietro's place, this both he and Wanda understood. He just... hadn't seen it coming.

  
It was only to be expected things had changed in the time they'd been apart. Wanda's control over her powers astounded him - he had been used to charting her progress day to day when they trained together, and the incredible leaps she had made during their separation startled him at first. She too - she was tougher, somehow, more capable, more sure of herself.  
  
Not negative changes, just noticeable ones.  
  
He and Wanda had gravitated together naturally during their training. It wasn't just their shared skill sets, but the roles they all fell into. Steve and Natasha worked effectively together as a team, respecting one another, backing one another up as joint team trainers. Sam and Rhodey were comfortable together as well, both from military backgrounds, and nobody could doubt the depth of loyalty Sam shared with Steve. Into all these interconnected relationships were the two odd ones out, Wanda and Vision, and he realized he missed that now because Wanda did not feel that way among her new team.      
  
In fact, there was a distinctly protective edge to the way Wanda felt about her teammates. They were her family, and just dare let anybody lay so much as a pinky fingernail on them and suffer her wrath. When she casually spoke of 'the boys' Vision could hear the corresponding echo in her head: 'my boys'. It didn't matter to her that they were all capable and in their own ways, terribly dangerous at times. It didn't matter that Clint was her father-figure and Steve her staid, reliable uncle, Sam her fun uncle, Scott her hyperactive cousin and Bucky her big brother. (T'Challa clearly fell into the role of 'distant rich relative' but it wasn't as great a distance as Vision might have assumed).  
  
T'Challa had quickly formed a firm friendship with Steve - no surprise to Vision, who had long ago noticed Steve seemed to gravitate people towards him without being aware of the fact - and also with Bucky. Towards Wanda he was respectful, and perhaps a little indulgent. He wondered how long it had taken Wanda to so readily accept T'Challla and Scott alongside the foundation members of the team.    
  
He'd never had any occasion to feel jealous before, and didn't recognize the emotion. Though he understood that Wanda harbored no romantic feelings towards any of her teammates, there was an illogical part of him that had expected they would fall readily back into their old patterns. Somehow, he hadn't expected to _share_ Wanda with anybody else.    
  
  
It was while he was musing over all of this Wanda emerged from the bathroom and Vision automatically stood, and in an instant forgot every one of his concerns. Wanda's loose hair hung in light waves around her face. She wore no makeup, her skin pink from the obviously scalding hot shower, and she moved with a relaxed, capable stride. She paused when she spotted the peculiar expression on his face. "Vis...?"  
  
"You are beautiful." He declared heatedly, reaching her in two steps and embracing her, dropping his head to hers. She met him with a willing kiss, though he could feel her lips curve into a smile.  
  
When they parted, she grinned knowingly up at him. "Vision, are you trying to delay us leaving this room, by any chance?"  
  
He responded with her favourite innocent look. "That depends. Is it working?"  
  
She burst out laughing and kissed him, up on her tiptoes, pressing close enough to him that her skin, still heated from the shower, seemed to impart all its warmth directly into his nerve endings.  
  
Wanda could always sense the change in him when lust began to edge out his more logical processes. Usually, she backed off, giving him time to regain control, reluctantly tone things down.    
  
That didn't happen this time.  
  
Her hands slipped past the buttons of the shirt he'd been wearing, and he couldn't tell if she'd undone them or used her magic, but found he didn't rightly care. Her palms skimmed over his stomach, fingers curling around his sides, then glided up his back. His whole body arched against her, only that did nothing to relieved the feeling of heated pressure burning its way through him. She deepened the kiss, and he responded with dizzying eagerness.      
  
She loved him like this - caught impossibly between a hyperalert state and a dreamy daze, aware of nothing but the two of them, submitting willingly to the passion they both felt. She loved the tiny sounds he made, the sharply indrawn breaths and soft sighs and groans if she pushed him far enough. It was a heady rush, reducing somebody like Vision to his primal needs. Giddy and relieved at having him back after so long apart, she wondered for a moment just how far they might go if she didn't call a halt to things.    
  
Fate took the choice out of her hands. "Morning, lovebirds!" Sang Scott's voice a moment later, along with the rap of his knuckles on the door. "You missed breakfast - can I interest you in some lunch?" He mock rattled the doorknob.  
  
Wanda reluctantly broke the kiss, though her arms remained wrapped around Vision, rubbing his back in circles that now had altered intentions to sooth him.     
  
"Scott Edward Harris Lang, if you open that door I'll hex you into the next dimension over. And I'll tell your daughter you're back in prison. You know I'm her favourite Avenger, she'll believe me."  
  
There was a snort from the other side of the door. "Then she'd convince you to come break me out and you'd need some elaborate plan to keep fooling her, which nobody does for very long."  
  
"You're right, it would be a lot of trouble. I'd have to knock you out and dump you in prison myself, and that'd be awfully difficult." Wanda's voice had an edge. When there was a thoughtful silence as Scott thought about just how difficult Wanda might find this undertaking, she huffed her breath out in annoyance.  
  
"Just give us five minutes, okay? We were having a moment."  
  
"I'll tell the guys. Good morning, Vision." Scott called cheerfully.    
  
"Good morning, Mr Lang." Vision replied somewhat sheepishly, and Scott's footsteps retreated.  
  
Wanda just shook her head. "Okay, much as I'd really rather keep doing this, if we're going out there I need to tame this mane." She indicated to still-damp hair and reluctantly let go of Vision. He watched her sit down at her desk and rummage for her hairbrush, light from the nearby window spilling over her.  
  
The intensity of the love he felt caught him unawares. He'd stopped denying the fact he had feelings for her many months ago, but that didn't mean he was all that much closer to understanding them.  
  
He knew being apart from Wanda was the worst thing that had ever happened to him.  
He knew that felt deliciously warm all over when he made her smile or laugh.  
He knew that his happiest memories had all occurred with her by his side.  
He knew that he would never recover if something ever happened to her.  
  
He moved to stand behind her, holding out a hand hopefully. He felt an intense need to be close to her physically, not just kissing her (though if she insisted on five more minutes of said activity he would have been loathe to protest) but the simpler joys of feeling her human warmth and softness under his fingertips. "May I?"  
  
"Please." Wanda handed over the brush willingly.  
  
Vision gently began to run the brush through her hair, moving hesitantly in case he hit a tangle, which he stopped and removed with his fingers before continuing. Wanda at first went to protest he could be a little more forward with her hair without hurting her, but she changed her mind and let him be when she began to relax under his supremely careful touch.  
  
She let him carry on for a lot longer than five minutes, wondering how it was possible to feel sleepy after spending a full night and the better part of the morning in bed. Vision got every knot out of her hair them simply kept brushing until it was dry, running his fingers through the rich, dark-sable waves as often as the bush, enjoying the sensation.  
  
Finally Wanda stirred and reluctantly touched his wrist, rising to plant a kiss on his lips. This one wasn't the passionate affair from earlier, instead a soft, grateful but lingering kiss that left them both smiling when they parted.  
  
"You are the sweetest guy in the world." Wanda told him frankly, broadening his smile. She caught his hand in hers. "Now, we'd better go face the music." He noticed that though she reached for a pair of necklaces and pulled on a set of rings, she took pains to buckle a silver bracelet around her wrist, where it vanished under her long sleeves. At the careful way she handled it, he resolved to try and get a closer look later.   
  
The others were assembled in a sunny outdoor dining area, on the side of the mountain offering the best view. Vision hadn't taken in much of Wakanda at his arrival, and Wanda felt his curiosity rise as he peered down the mountainside at the African jungle seamlessly flowing around the city below. Wanda had always found something inherently majestic about Africa, something in the ruggedness of the towering mountains and the overly huge expanse of the sky, and Wanda knew Vision felt it, too.                   
  
"Morning, Kiddo." Clint reached her first with an embrace, and she hugged him back with real warmth, hoping that he and Natasha had worked out their argument from the previous day. When he stood back he nodded amiably enough at Vision, though she thought his voice sounded a bit strained. "Good to see you again, Vision."  
  
"And you, Clint." Vision had visited the Barton farm enough times with Wanda for the first-name basis. She was relieved to see that neither man seemed to hold the battle back at the compound against the other. She also suspected Natasha had given him a thorough talking-to about being nice to Vision - she was picking up on the effort he was extending. "How are the children?"  
  
"Great, thanks. Growing huge. Gonna eat me out of house and home soon I reckon." He eyed the lack of space between Vision and Wanda and their intertwined hands, grunted, and retreated to the table.  
  
Wanda glanced over the rest of the team. Scott waved with his fork - he, Sam and and Natasha were eating lunch at the impressive stone table - T'Challa like a sentry at the dropoff edge of the courtyard, Bucky at his side, scanning the horizon watchfully. Finally she became aware of Steve, arms crossed and looking decidedly captain-y.  
  
"Wanda. Vision." He greeted levelly. Wanda smiled tentatively. "Should I eat or listen to your lecture first?" She asked politely.  
  
He sighed. "You can do both."  
  
She listened obligingly while tucking in to copious amounts of fresh fruit (nothing tasted as good as the fresh fruit Wakandans grew in their orchards), bread baked that morning, ham, cheese and sweet tea.  
  
"Wanda, you can't just jet off for the US whenever you feel like it." Began Steve, looming over the table without seeming to affect anybody already eating. "In case you've forgotten, we're still fugitives."  
  
"Don't pretend like you wouldn't have come rescued me again if you'd had to." Wanda spoke with her mouth full. Vision gave her the look she recognized as him being close to laughter.  
  
Steve glared. "You're lucky it didn't come to that. You realize what would have happened if you or Bucky had been captured?"  
  
"I meant for Bucky to stay in the jet." Wanda defended herself. At this staement Steve, Bucky, Sam, Clint, Nat and T'Challa snorted or uttered various disbelieving noises, all in unison. Scott started to laugh, but a withering look from Steve silenced him.  
  
"I am sorry he got hurt. Bucky, are you feeling okay this morning?" Wanda looked over at him contritely and noted his single arm was in a sling. He wiggled his fingers, a not-quite wave. "I feel great." He insisted with a sideways look at Steve, one that simultaneously said and _I mean it_ and also _lay off her_.  
   
Steve, knowing when he was outnumbered, rubbed the back of his neck in defeat. "Just let me know next time. We almost had a heart attack."  
  
" _He_ did anyway." Nat whispered loudly, and blinked innocently at Steve.  
  
Wanda met the Captain's frustrated gaze and felt a bit sorry for him - it wasn't easy, trying to lead this group. "Steve, if it was Sharon who'd been in trouble... you would have gone. It's not that I don't understand, because if you'd gone and not brought me I'd be just as angry with you. But there is no point in pretending I would not do the same again. You are the one who taught me to stand up for what you know is right."  
  
Steve had to smile. "Guess I sort of led by example." He admitted ruefully, then lowered his voice. "Listen, Wanda - I trust you. Even though you worried the hell out of me, I knew you'd being Bucky back home safe. I hope someday you will be able to come to me when you need something, too."  
  
"You know  I can hear you, right?" Called Bucky without tuning around.  
  
Steve smiled, but turned his gaze to Vision. "How's the leg this morning?"  
  
"Better, thank you Captain." Wanda caught the slight evasion of his reply. It was better than yesterday, so technically he had told the truth, but it was still painful and bothering him.  
  
"You know, T'Challa has some excellent doctors and technicians, I'm sure-"  
  
"No thank you." Vision never interrupted anybody, and Wanda raised her brows to hear him do so now. She would have known he was afraid by that alone, and reminded him she was there for him with a light touch of her fingers to his arm. She understood after his experience with the NSA why he didn't want anybody he didn't know poking around with his body. Still, Wanda wondered if Helen Cho would be open to communications, she was certain Vision would trust her if nobody else. Not that she knew which side Dr. Cho fell on of the Accords.  
  
Until she could investigate, she resolved to convince Vision to let her treat his leg. She had no idea weather he could get an infection, but the depth of the wound worried her, as did Vision's insistence of moving around on it, as if in proof that it wasn't bothering him (even though she of course knew it did). She knew his memory loss concerned him even more than his physical injuries, and that was another reason she hoped Helen Cho would take her call.       
  
"Okay." Steve had seen Vision in action enough to trust his judgement. "But let us know if you need anything."  
  
Vision nodded, and for the rest of the meal Wanda laughed and joked with Clint and Natasha, pleased to see them both again. Clint had come from his family's new farm where apparently, Natasha had been staying as well. Wanda was eager for news on the Barton family and listened to Clint relaying tales of Nathaniel's budding ability to talk, Cooper's new fascination with baseball and Lila and Scott's daughter Cassie becoming penpals.  
  
She did notice Vision was quieter than he usually was, so after they'd finished eating she excused them both, took Vision's hand - the motion now so natural she did so without thinking - and let him at a purposely sedate pace out of the courtyard. T'Challa found them admiring one of the tiny but perfect gardens tucked against the building. Wanda wasn't surprised he caught them up so easily. He could leap over any wall in his palace, climb any tree at hand, and in general was a hard man to keep out of anywhere.  
  
He greeted them both politely, then got right to business as was his style. "We spoke briefly yesterday about you staying in Wakanda." His gaze fell upon Vision, who inclined his head in agreement. Wanda felt a flash of surprise. "You did?"    
  
Vision glanced sideways at her. "I knew that once I found you, leaving would not be of consequence. If you accepted me, I would be at your side for the foreseeable future. If you had not, I would have stayed to convince you of that fact." He explained softly.    
  
"I only wanted to clarify - Wakanda is coming out of the shadows it has been shrouded in for many years." T'Challa had the most singular focused stare of any person Wanda knew, with only one exception. "But although we have taken several steps in that direction, we do not actively engage in conflicts with other nations. I have no quarrel with Tony Stark or the U.S. government, do I make myself clear, Vision?"  
  
Vision blinked levelly. "I assure you, Your Highness, my only concern is the well-being of Wanda and my current teammates." He put just the slightest emphasis on the word current. "Mr. Stark is unaware of my whereabouts and I have no intentions of contacting him."  
  
T'Challa seemed satisfied by that. "Then it is settled." He glanced down at the injured  leg Vision subtly held his weight off of. It wasn't the sort of detail that he missed. "I would like to offer my medical team, if you do require them."      
  
"No thank you." The second refusal bore just a hint of stress, and Wanda squeezed his fingers sympathetically. T'Challa dipped his head and excused himself, leaving them alone.  
  
"They only want what is best for you."  
  
"I know they do." Vision stopped walking and stared absently at the ground. "I am not only afraid of what might happen if I submitted myself to an unknown team again, Wanda... I'm afraid that it will not go away. I once trusted mankind inherently, and I do not know if it is possible for me to return to the same mindset."  
  
"Well I know." Wanda reached up and gently nudged his chin so that she was gazing directly into her eyes. "Vision, there is nobody who is as decent, trusting and positive a person as you are. You were the one to remind me why the world was worth protecting after Pietro died. I won't let you forget, either. I know you're not feeling well, and I know that waiting around for your mind and body to heal isn't an easy thing to do, believe me." She let her fingers creep up to his cheek in a featherlight caress. "Being here has been so good for me, I think it might be for you, too. When you're feeling up to it, I'll show you everything."  
  
She felt him relax by gradients under her fingertips, the tension slowly releasing its grip on his muscles. The way he reached for her was purely her Vision - shy and almost awkward, where every other move he made was so fluid. She slid willingly into his arms, fitting herself snugly against the strong lines of his body.  
  
"I did not wish to be a burden upon you." Sighed Vision into her hair, voice laced with regret. "I thought so often of coming to find you... in my mind it was always perfect."  
  
"Nobody's perfect, Vis, not even you. That's what it means to be human."  
  
When she used that word in reference to him, it was the only time he really believed it.      


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda shows Vision some of Wakanda's wilds. Bucky has a mission. T'Challa's adoptive brother Hunter puts in an appearance, and guess what, he's a jerk.

Vision was sitting out of a training session that Wanda, Steve, and T'Challa were all participating in when Bucky found him. Vision was surprised he hadn't heard the approach of the other man, since not many people caught him by surprise, even if they used to be Soviet-trained killers. He hated his moment of doubt; was it Bucky's skill, or Vision's own compromised state?    
  
"How're you feeling?" Bucky's voice asked gruffly. Vision was surprised a second time when the ex-assassin sat down beside him. He ceased studying the cloud formation overhead and blinked thoughtfully, trying to fathom for what reason Bucky might be engaging him in conversation.   
  
"Better, thank you. And you?" Vision lifted a hand to indicate where a bullet had been shot through Bucky's shoulder while rescuing him from the NSA. Bucky waved off the concern. "Can't even feel it." He assured Vision.   
  
For a moment they sat in silence, until Bucky spoke again. "Wanda's worried about you." It wasn't a question.   
  
"So I am to assume she has designated you to talk to me?"  
  
Bucky snorted. "Hardly."   
  
"Then I can only deduce that Wanda being worried is in turn, a cause for you to become worried also."  Vision watched Bucky closely, causing him to shift uncomfortably where he sat.   
  
"Look, don't go getting the wrong idea." Bucky scowled briefly. "Nat asked me about that too, and Wanda is way, way too young for me, let's just get that out there. But yeah, she's important to me, and if she's worried, I'm worried."   
  
"There is really no need."   
  
"I was there. I saw what they were doing to you. I just wanted to say... I've been there. When HYDRA used to wipe me, they shocked me. A lot. Then again when they woke me up and reprogrammed me. My memories always came back eventually, so they did it over and over. Part of the reason I'm free now is Wanda - not just because she helped fight to keep me out of HYDRA's hands but because she's the one who monitors me when I'm on missions. She recognizes HYDRA agents and keeps me safe from the people who know how to control me. I'd be useless inside my tube right now if it weren't for her."   
  
Vision felt another flash of the emotion from the previous day. It seemed that Bucky had naturally assumed his own place on the team, working closely with Wanda. Assurances he harboured no romantic intention towards the woman he'd fallen in love with overrode all logical responses.  
  
"I think I would prefer you back in cryostatus." Vision admitted. Bucky's blue eyes widened in surprise, then he barked out a laugh. "Sam said you were funny."  
  
"What makes you assume I am joking?"   
  
Bucky raised his hand placidly. "Okay, I can take a hint, I'm going. I'll give you some advice though. For two years, I bunnied out. Hid from the world. I told myself that I'd get better, but you know what? Nothing changed for me until Steve came and found me.  What helped me was being around him, then the rest of the team. People I started to care about. Don't isolate yourself, okay?"     
  
With that, he was gone.  
  
When Wanda finished her training session she came looking for Vision, pleased to find him sitting outside. He smiled up at her, noting she was still breathing heavily and pink-cheeked from exertion. "No, don't get up, you look so comfortable there." Wanda laughed, leaning down to kiss him instead. Considering their height difference, it was a novelty for him to be the shorter of the two.   
  
"Are you feeling up to a walk? There's a lookout spot about half an hour away I can't wait to show you." To keep the look of eagerness sparkling in her eyes, Vision would have agreed to walk to Europe.    
  
"Nothing would give me greater joy than to accompany you. I am looking forward to seeing a little more than the inside of T'Challa's palace."  
  
Wanda chuckled. "It is nice, but I prefer being outside myself. The gardens are amazing, there's incredible walking tracks all around these mountains, and I learned to horseride - you can't take them into the mountains though, because there's predators and gorillas, which can upset the horses."   
  
Vision was fascinated by everything as Wanda led him towards the lookout. He appreciated her patience when he paused to study brightly coloured birds or curious monkeys in the trees, admire a towering giant of a mahogany draped in vines thicker than his arms, and watch a passing herd of okapi with their distictive striped limbs. He felt himself relaxing as he and Wanda made their way through the rainforest hand-in-hand, feeling as if they had stepped into another world.   
  
"What is that sound?" He asked, tilting his head towards the distinctive, low-pitched call. Wanda listened for a moment. "Gorillas. The silverback caught our scent and is warning us away from his young." She explained. "You ought to hear T'Challa when he is out here. He can imitate so many bird and animal calls, I swear he can fool them at times."   
  
"Are we in any sort of danger, Wanda? It is my understanding that some gorillas and other African predators can pose a danger to humans." He questioned, recalling the many David Attenborough documentaries he and Wanda used to watch together.   
  
"I wouldn't imagine a leopard would have much taste for you, and the animals don't bother me." Wanda assured him. "I ran into that silverback soon after I first arrived here. I was terrified at first, he was so huge, it was like going up against the Hulk. But the gorillas here have never been hunted by humans, so they have no inherent aggression towards us. It was as if my powers kicked in automatically, and I connected with his mind... it was so human. Simpler, of course, they don't think in the way we do, more in sensations and impressions than coherent thoughts, but I could still see all the things I could see in a human mind - the protective instincts towards his females and children, the bond he felt with every member of his troop, the sense of responsibility to keep them safe. Though he of course had no words or true understanding for any of these feelings, they were still there."  
  
Vision listened in rapt attention, a wry smile touching his lips at her explanation. He felt empathetic towards the silverback gorilla, but also a flash of admiration towards Wanda. He could picture her standing face to face with the mountain giant, scared but standing her ground bravely. "What happened next?"   
  
"He was concerned only for his troop, so I... I do not wish to say I spoke to him, but I showed him that I meant his family no harm, and he accepted this, and he turned and made his way back to the others. Since them I returned many times to watch them - the young are so amazing, they grow so fast, learn to find food, and how to interact with one another. They are fascinating."   
  
The dense jungle around them suddenly dropped away, as if somebody had simply sheered it off - which in a way the edge of the mountain had. Vision caught in a breath, Wanda's hand in his steadying in case he stumbled, as he approached the edge of the cliff and stared out over Wakanda.   
  
Their mountain faced a chain of waterfalls, clouds of spray hanging like smoke where they crashed into flowing rivers that nourished the rich vegetation throughout the valley. Beyond them were more mountains, some three or four times higher than their own, the intense blue of the sky offsetting the emerald green. Huge, billowing cloud columns broke up the skyline here and there.       
  
"Wanda..." Vision simply stared, speechless, and shook his head in frustration when he continued to lack for words to describe the vista before them. He opened his mind to Wanda and let her experience his profound awe.    
  
"I know." She replied with feeling, and leaned against him contentedly, feeling a glow of satisfaction. "I still feel it, every bit as much as the first time I came here." She led him to a fallen log that had been gracefully fashioned into a low-backed seat and let him gaze at the view, alternating between joining him and watching him. She loved the way the intricate gears inside his irises spun when he was concentrating.    
  
"I watched a few sunsets up here when I first arrived. It was magnificent - better than anything from the top of the Avengers tower - but I stopped."   
  
"Why?" Vision winced as he felt the onset of the flare of pain around his temples indicating another 'headache', but he pushed his discomfort aside. He wanted to enjoy being with Wanda again, not be held back by the failures of his recovering body.      
  
"It made me sad. I couldn't watch a sunset here without remembering all those we sat through together at home, and I missed you even more than usual."   
  
Vision felt a sharp pain in his heart at the image of Wanda turning her back on the sunsets she loved over him, but she soothingly murmured to him as she pulled him close, sliding her arms around his waist. "It's okay now. It's okay." He wrapped his arms around her in return and they sat together for a timeless period, holding each other at the edge of the mountain.     
  
Eventually Wanda sighed and lifted her head off his shoulder. "We ought to be heading back soon."   
  
"Must we?"   
  
She laughed. "I think it's going to rain soon, and rain here isn't like it is in New York. Come on."    
  
"Can we go and see the gorillas?" Wanda hesitated, torn. "Just for a few minutes?" Vision continued to gaze at her steadily, a tiny, hopeful smile gracing his features. Wanda threw her hands up in defeat. "Okay, we will, only if you put those puppy-dog eyes away." She looked suspiciously down at his injured leg. He'd been careful to distribute his weight evenly and she nodded to herself, satisfied, and led him onward.   
  
Vision was lost the moment they crouched downwind of the gorilla troop. Wanda smiled to herself - how many times had she watched the close-knit family, missing her own, while wishing Vision was at her side to appreciate the marvel of it? Now that he _was_ here she couldn't really wrap her mind around how lucky she was.   
  
Though they were quiet, the gorilla's leader, the big silverback, caught the small sounds of human footsteps, and strode over to investigate. Vision realized what Wanda had meant when she compared him to being close to the Hulk - the gorilla was _enormous_ , radiating a serene sort of power that Vision felt almost tangibly.   
  
"Just stay still. He knows me, and he'll be fine if we don't alarm him." Wanda cautioned Vision as the great creature stopped within arm's reach.  He sniffed the air, grunted, then turned his head towards Vision. Whatever he decided the crimson-and-silver android was, it wasn't threatening. He huffed, then turned back and knuckle-walked back to his family.  
  
There were five youngsters in the troop and Vision felt his gaze drawn to them. The smallest were twins, held with great care by an old matriarch whose head turned towards the two of them as if she knew she was being watched. Being too young to walk or play the twins cuddled up to their mother, though they reached curiously towards other troop members who passed by, including fearlessly towards the big silverback. The remaining three youngsters were older and playing together on a curved branch, jumping and swinging on it with hoots of delight, falling onto one anothers' shoulder in short bouts of wrestling. The adults collected food or groomed one another, at peace in their small niche of the world.   
  
Though Wanda could make out the sky clouding over through gap in the canopy, she didn't have the heart to pull Vision away, he was so clearly absorbed in the gorilla family. A light touch of her powers into his mind revealed that he was completely at peace out here - unworried about the effects of the experiments on him, or missing his teammates.     
  
Only when she felt the first drops of rain work their way through the leaves did she tap his arm. "We've stayed too long. Come on Vis, we're going to get drenched!"   
  
They backed away from the troop then stood, Vision exclaiming in dismay when the skies opened above them. Though the rain didn't affect him negatively - he could regulate his own internal temperature effectively - he was automatically worried about Wanda.   
  
Needlessly, it turned out, since Wanda lifted her head to the downpour,, closed her eyes in concentration, and let a scarlet glow began between her fingers. A moment later, a curved crimson shield appeared over their heads, stopping the rain from hitting them. Wanda concentrated, reducing her powers to a manageable level, them smiled when she felt her control solidify. "Got it." She told him brightly. "Since I use one to deflect bullets all the time, I figured it would work for this."    
  
Vision was equal parts touched she'd included him under her umbrella of energy when she knew rain didn't really bother him, and struck with a rush of intense awe for Wanda, greater than seeing the gorillas, or the view from the top of the mountain, greater than the first time he'd flown at night high enough to see cities sparkling and even greater than the first time he'd seen his reflection in the window of the Avengers Tower.  
  
He bent his head and kissed her, lips fierce on hers all of a sudden as if he was worried she'd be taken away from him. Though he felt her startle slightly, she responded willingly, and she lifted a hand and caressed his cheek. Under her fingertips she felt the familiar texture of his skin dampened by the drops of rain that had fallen on him before she'd raised her shield.   
  
"You know, much as I really don't have a problem with making out with you, I'm not going to be able to keep this up for long. Definitely not if you keep distracting me like that." Wanda laughed when they broke apart. Vision looked sheepishly at her, but she laughed again and took his hand. "Come on!"   
  
When they reached T'Challa's palace Wanda recognized the head of the Wakanda guard - and T'Challa's adoptive brother - Hunter, in the guard house. Having quickly grown used to the satin-dark appearance of Wakandas (a skin tone Wanda thought was exceptionally beautiful) there was no doubt Hunter did stand out. Though tanned from a life spent in the African sun, he was startlingly pale when surrounded by his adopted people.   
  
"Hello, Hunter." Wanda called, dissipating her energy shield as they reached the guard house's cover. Hunter's unsmiling face peered out at them. Wanda had never ventured into his mind to figure out why, but he had never been exceptionally accommodating of his brother's decision to welcome the Avengers into Wakanda. He'd been friendly enough towards Wanda in the beginning though, seeking her out on a few occasions, but Wanda had been too caught up missing Vision to desire company from a stranger. After being rebuffed a few times, Hunter had withdrawn his advances.   
  
"Hunter? It's just me." Wanda tugged Vision by the hand a little closer to her, he couldn't figure out if it was out of protectiveness or a desire for comfort. "Can you let us in, please?"   
  
Hunter stepped out of the guard house with an imposing scowl, and hit a button that caused the gate to slide to one side. Wanda was puzzled, since he could activate the controls from inside. Instead of stepping aside to let them through, he stood in their path, his gaze intensified into an outright glare.   
  
"So _this_ is whom you were waiting for?" He spat, startling Wanda into producing a crimson glow around her free hand in readiness. Hunter tossed a loathsome look at Vision. He was a tall man - not quite so tall as Vision - but broader and more ruggedly muscular. "You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Carrying on like that in public."   
  
Wanda was so surprised by the words she nearly dropped Vision's hand. He had gone very still in her grip, too still. "What are you talking about?" She demanded.  
  
"The two of you! He is a robot! A _machine_!" Sneered Hunter, eyes narrowed. Wanda took offense on Vision's behalf. "He is much-" Her head turned as Vision abruptly let go of her and took flight, taking off into the rain and heading towards the palace. "Vision!" She snapped her fingers, exasperated, dissipating her magic save for a faint scarlet tinge to her irises. "Now look what you have done!" She rounded on Hunter fiercely, and he wisely backed up a step. "Whatever your problem is, you'd better keep your mouth shut in the future, lest I shut it for you!" She stormed inside, cursing the drenching downpour that had hidden Vision's direction from her, and went to look for him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunter is a comic character strongly rumoured to appear in the upcoming Black Panther movie - which I'm stupidly excited about, naturally. Hunter's parents plane crash-landed in Wakanda and King T'Chaka adopted him, but after T'Challa was born he grew to resent the true heir to the throne. I'm actually super-psyched for him to show up on the big screen.   
> Though I know DC nabbed him to play Harvey Dent and not many actors jump the DC ship for Marvel, I tend to picture Aaron Eckhart playing Hunter.


	3. Chapter 3

Inside, Wanda found chaos waiting for her.  
  
"What do you man he's GONE!" Thundered Steve, glaring daggers at T'Challa and looking so furious Wanda actually drew back a step. For a moment she thought Steve meant Vision, but she could sense his mind somewhere in the palace.  
  
Sam had stepped into his usual role as mediator and stood between T'Challa and Steve like a matador caught between two bulls, both hands outstretched. "Steve, just take a minute-" He advised his friend, but Steve looked a little beyond rationality at that point. Natasha edged up by beside Sam, looking ready to step in if he needed backup. "Listen to Sam, Steve." She urged. Wanda turned her head to find Scott eyeing the scene with about as much confusion as she thought was on her face. Clint sidled over to her. "Good timing, we might need you to pin him if he gets any more worked up. Why are you all wet? Wanda, you weren't out in the rain, were you?" Wanda brushed off his concern. "Clint, you really need to go visit your kids and go all Dad Mode on them, not me."    
  
Steve was still obviously tense, pacing in a tight circle, Sam and Nat hemming him in. "How could you give him a JET? T'Challa, he's still in recovery! At least when Wanda was with him, I didn't have to worry about a HYDRA agent getting their hands on him!"    
  
"I'll take that as a compliment, I suppose." Wanda muttered, realizing they must be talking about Bucky, which she should have guessed the moment she found Steve ranting. Though she was still worried about Vision's reaction to Hunter's hostility, she had to figure out what was going on with her teammates as well. She felt a flash of concern for her surrogate brother. Where would he go? What, exactly, had gotten into everybody and led to an apparent spate of running away?    
  
Not that she was one to talk.  
  
"Bucky Barnes is not my prisoner, Steve." T'Challa replied with admirable calm. "He is not confined here if he expresses a wish to leave. That was, if I recall, one of your primary issues with Tony Stark." He pointed out. Steve scowled, but at least he looked like he was calming down, to Wanda's relief. "He didn't tell you where he was going?" There was a note of desperation in his voice. Wanda knew he was terrified over losing his best friend - tough and stoic and professional about everything was Steve Rogers, with exactly one exception.  
  
"He declined to tell me." T'Challa's voice was gentle. "He will come back to you, Steve." With that, Wanda agreed with, and she stepped up to put a hand on Steve's arm. "That is the truth. Bucky has been alone for long enough. If he left, it was with good reason." She assured him. Steve looked down at her (just one guy on the team who didn't tower over her, that was all she wanted) and nodded, the tension leaving his muscles. "I'm going to head to the communications room and see if I can pick up a signal." He said defeatedly, trekking wearily out of the room, which all but uttered a collective sigh at his retreat.  
  
With one problem dealt with, Wanda inhaled and exhaled sharply, then turned to the others. "Has anybody seen Vision?" She received five answers to the negative, made her excuses, and slipped out of the room.  
  
Concentrating, she narrowed down Vision's mind - which, in its current whirlwind state of rapidly shifting emotions was barely recognizable - and figured out he was on one of the roof gardens. Wanda sighed as she jogged up the right staircase and swung the door open. She didn't bother about the energy shield against the rain this time, although it was heavier than before.  
  
"Vision!" She spotted him standing motionless at the edge of the roof, surrounded by exotic plants of all kinds. His shoulders were slumped, his whole posture curved downwards. It reminded her of the way he'd wilted under her glare when she asked if he wasn't letting her leave the compound, and the way he turned but didn't meet her eyes was the same, too.  
  
"Wanda, it's still raining." The concern was audible, but there was something very, very wrong in his tone. She waved her hand dismissively. "I can see that, and worse things happen at sea." (One of Sam's favourite sayings). Vision swung back to stare out over the edge of the garden.

  
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Vision, some things change, but some do not. You can still talk to me."  
  
He looked at her for a split second, pressed his lips together, and turned back to staring pensively out over the soaking African landscape.  
  
"Vision." Wanda drew closer to him, hurt when he angled his body and stepped away from her. She stretched out her hand, indicating his temple. "I'm not going to come in there and figure out what's upsetting you. I'm just going to stand here in the rain until you're up to telling me yourself." She crossed her arms.  
  
"You're getting soaked." She'd never heard him mumble _anything_ in his life.  
  
"It is just water. It dries."    
  
Longer silence. At last he spoke up.  
  
"I fear I have made a mistake."  
  
"What mistake is that?"  
  
"I... cannot explain."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because Hunter was right."  
  
"Hunter?! That moron could take five right-hand turns and _still_ be wrong!"  
   
She swore she saw his lips twitch. The rest of his features though, kept a cast of anguish so deep it cut through her like a knife. Her determination to find out what was wrong with him burned inside her with an intensity so strong she was surprised scarlet sparks didn't light off her skin.  
  
"You think Hunter's right about what he said? About us?"  
  
He didn't nod, but his lips pressed together unhappily.  
  
She waited. "If it takes all day and night for you to trust me, so be it."    
  
"Wanda, there is nobody I trust more than you." His voice was so soft she could barely hear it over the sound of rain pattering down on the plants. When she drew closer to him, this time he didn't pull away, and she felt a flash of releif.  
  
"Then would you talk to me? Tell me what's upset you. I promise we'll fix it." She pleaded, reaching for his hand. He felt hotter than usual amidst the cool of the rain.  
  
"What if it cannot be fixed?"  
  
"If it cannot, there is nothing that would change my feelings for you, Vision."  
  
He blinked rapidly. "That is part of the problem." He heaved a sigh and lifted a hand to idly brush rain out of his eyes. "Hunter is not alone in seeing and inherent issues of our relationship. It is an opinion shared by many, that as a non-human, I ought not be pursuing a relationship with you. Why should I subject you to more difficulties?"  
  
"Vision, You're not _less_ human because your tissue was created in a lab. I've never seen you that way, you know that."  
  
"And what of everyone else?"  
  
"Screw everyone else!" She was fierce all of a sudden, hands clenched into scarlet-tinged fists at her side.  
  
"All some people will ever see is artificial. A thing, not a person. A broken robot." He looked bitterly down at his hands. Wanda sized her hands in his, her scarlet glow engulfing them.    
  
"Don't call yourself that! Besides, you aren't broken, Vis. You just need a few repairs, time to heal."  
  
"I ought to go back." It came out as a whisper.  
  
Her eyes searched his face. "Is that what you want?"  
  
He squeezed his eyes closed. "No." He choked out, unable to lie, not now, not ever, not to her. She understood in a flash why he was standing out here in the rain. He was _crying_.  
  
The realization cracked her heart, and she reached for him and drew him towards her, felt his shoulders shaking and simply held him while the rain fell on them both.  
  
She hadn't known he _could_ cry.   
  
After some time, when she felt the worst of his anguish had been washed from him, she drew back and carefully lifted her hands to his cheek, cradling his face. "Pietro used to tease me, that someday I would meet my soulmate, because he knew I didn't believe in them... until I met you. Love is for souls, Vision, not bodies."  
  
He looked at her, directly at her, listening, hope in the look.    
  
"I was right there when Stark came for the scepter with this inside it." Her fingertips ghosted over his forehead. "I let him take it, and Pietro questioned me, why? When I first encountered Tony Stark and went inside his mind, I saw a flash of the future, so quick, it was impossible to really understand - it makes some sense now, looking back, but less so at the time. I saw Tony would create something, some _body_ , important. Somebody who would change the world. Someone who... who would become very important to me. I knew he needed the scepter to do this."  
  
She had his attention now, she could tell by the way his body had gone completely motionless save for the whir of his irises.  
  
"I thought, when we met Ultron, that it was _him_. That is why we fought at his side, not only for the chance at revenge he promised us. I began to get warning signs I had read the situation wrong, and then... you. I touched your cradle, and I found your mind for the very first time."  
  
Her eyes closed, her grip on the present remaining only through the hold she had on him. "I saw Ultron's intentions, the plan he had to destroy the world, and at the time that was what took precedence. But before that... you were already there. Already yourself, and I knew you were not destined to become Ultron, that you were a gift to the world. _You_ were the one I saw Tony creating."  
  
She opened her eyes. He hadn't moved, his eyes filled with wonder. "I _felt_ you." He breathed. "Your mind was the first thing I ever felt. I didn't even understand the sensation then."  
  
"I don't care what anybody else says, Vision. You and I are not fated to have normal lives. All I want now to is live mine the best I can, at your side. You think that you are being selfish, wanting to be with me? Do you not think it selfish of me, knowing that someday my time here will end, long, long before yours will, and I'll leave you alone? I thought about that when we were apart and told myself it was better this way. But every time I saw you again, I wanted you anyway, even knowing what would happen."  
  
"Lives such as ours have no guarantees, Wanda." He looked right into her eyes. "If I am granted a day, a month, a year or a lifetime with you, it would not change the fact that my love will last until the stars burn out."  
  
She wasn't sure which of them reached for the other first, but they held each other until the sky was dark overhead. They only moved when thunder rumbled, and Vision drew them back, to where a wooden bench with leopards carved into the armrests sat against the stairwell wall. An overhang provided cover from the elements, and though raindrops rebounded from the floor against their legs, there they sat and watched the storm.

 

* * *

 

  
  
"Wanda?"  
  
Wanda opened her eyes. She found herself pressed against Vision - in fact sitting more on him than the bench, her legs tangled with his. The storm still rumbled lowly overhead, though the earlier intensity had faded.  
  
"Sorry. Didn't mean to fall asleep." Wanda uncurled and stood up, shivering in the light drizzle still falling. Vision stretched an arm out towards her, and she slid her hand into his.  
  
"I heard the sound of a jet returning."  
  
"Bucky?"  
  
"So it would seem."  
  
"Come on, let's go find out where he ran off to. Or stop Steve from murdering him, whichever comes first."  
  
In the hanger, Bucky emerged from the jet casually holding a clearly unconscious man over his shoulder. "Hey guys."  
  
" _Hey_? All you have to say is _hey_? You might want to rehearse something else for when Steve finds you." Wanda warned him. Vision blinked curiously at the unconscious man. "Who is that?"  
  
"That's a story I'd better wait for T'Challa to explain. I don't think it can wait until the morning either, so I'm about to be really popular. Wanda, you couldn't wake them for me could you?"  
  
In short order the hanger became an Avengers assembly point. Wanda made a point not to stand too close to Natasha, who was always cranky when awoken early without the prospect of coffee.  
  
"Okay Bucky, we're listening." Steve looked mad, but rational. Sam inconspicuously stood within arms' reach just in case, and Wanda reflected with a moment's amusement on Bucky and Sam's camaraderie. Though they had begun as rivals - and frequently still were - Wanda knew they also genuinely liked the other, though neither would admit it. The web of loyalty that bound Steve and Bucky and Steve to Sam just seemed to naturally extend to the two of them, and they typically sided together on almost every issue.  
  
T'Challa managed to look tough and intimidating even when dressed in silk pajamas. Wanda saw him shoot a glance at Bucky's captive, his eyes widening fractionally, but he stayed quiet and let his teammate explain.    
  
"When we went to get Vision, we found something." Bucky produced an article Wanda recognized - the electrified knife the NSA had been using to carve into Vision's flesh. Through their joined hands she felt him flinch, almost imperceptibly.  
  
"That is a vibarnium knife. The _whole_ thing." He tossed the weapon - powered down - to T'Challa for inspection, who caught it by the handle without effort. "Which I thought was an interesting thing for the government to get their hands on considering we've spent the last few months tracking down any authorized transport of the stuff. At best, there's a few minuscule amounts unaccounted for - not enough to make a filling out of, let alone an entire knife."  
  
"This man is familiar to me." T'Challa looked carefully over the face of the unconscious man, whose dark skin perfectly matched that of most Wakandans. "N'Jadaka, that is his name."  
  
"Was his name. He goes by Erik Killmonger in the states." Bucky shot a sideways look at Steve at the mention of him going back to the U.S., but Sam had already placed a calming hand on Steve's shoulder. "His father was the one working with Klaue to smuggle the vibranium out of Wakanda, and he followed in his father's footsteps. Steve, Sharon says hi. That girl is _damn good_ at her job, by the way. You might want to try actually calling her sometime though."  
  
Steve released a guilty sigh. T'Challa rarely showed any sort of strong emotion externally, but Wanda felt a flash of anger from him psionicly so strong she winced. "There is no way N'Jadaka could get vibranium out of Wakanda now... not without inside help." His dark eyes stared unwaveringly at Bucky, and the former assassin met his gaze levelly. "I know. I'm sorry, T'Challa - it was Hunter."  
  
Without a word T'Challa turned and strode inside, steps suddenly more lithe and completely silent. Wanda had seen that deadly grace before - it surfaced sometimes when T'Challa was particularly channeling the energy of his alter ego, and it was a sign that things were about to get exceptionally grim for somebody. "I'll go see if he needs help." Clint sighed, reaching for the ever-present bow strapped over his shoulder and jogging after T'Challa.    
  
"I'll take him to the prison." Offered Bucky, reaching down for N'Jadaka. Steve pulled free of Sam's restraining hand and blocked Bucky. "Wanda and Natasha will make sure he gets there." He glanced over at them and they moved to the fallen man, Wanda using her powers to levitate him off the floor and Natasha standing ready to lead. Steve wasn't done with Bucky. "You and I need to have a talk."  
  
"I figured as much." Bucky ran his hand through his long hair uncomfortably.  
  
"Well what did you expect? You disappear without a word to anybody, you fly back to the U.S. - AGAIN! - and go investigate arms dealers and smugglers without even taking Wanda with you as backup!"  
  
"Standing right here." Wanda waved a hand, glowing scarlet, in the air, but Steve ignored her in favour of working himself up even further. "I don't know when you're going to get this team concept through your head, but it had better start right now. I mean, for _fuck's sake,_ Bucky!"  
  
" _Language!_ " Chorused Nat, Wanda, Sam and Bucky in unison and with no small amount of glee. Steve's anger began to dissipate at that, and Wanda knew he wanted to smile at the old team joke. "Hey, three of you weren't even _there_ the first time. You can't use that joke."  
  
"Let's talk about it when the sun's up." Natasha yawned, then flapped an irritable hand at Wanda and Vision. "Sabrina, Optimus, let's move it."  
  
"Was I just referred to as the leader of the Transformers?" Vision asked Wanda in bemusement as they followed the sleepy spy, N'Jadaka floating along with them in an eerie fashion. "You actually got the better of that deal, Optimus is awesome. We'll watch the movies, if you want. I'm warning you though, only the first two are any good."  
  
"Tonight?" He tilted a hopeful look her way, ignoring the subtle gagging noise from Natasha. They both knew she didn't mean it anyway.  
  
"Barring any catastrophes requiring our talents, consider it a date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus end credits: 
> 
> Bucky sat patiently through Steve's lecture, faithfully promised him that next time Steve would be the first one he invited, then went to crash for a few hours. After he woke he went to find T'Challa, worried about how to king was handling his adoptive brother's betrayal. 
> 
> He found T'Challa staring off into the misty jungle, and came to stand at his side. "I owe you another debt, my friend." Bucky turned his head towards the other man, lifting an eyebrow. "You opened your home to a set of superhero fugitives and you still think _you_ owe _me_?"
> 
> T'Challa laughed, though there was a hollow ring to the sound. Bucky knew if he were patient, eventually the other man would open up. He just had to hang around until that happened. "Well, regardless. You acted to protect Wakanda's borders, hardly for the first time. I have something for you." 
> 
> Bucky followed him as he turned towards the lab, protesting as they walked. "Seriously Black Cat, you don't need to thank me, with gifts or otherwi-" His words trailed off. Two gleaming vibranium inventions sat in an obviously focal point on a central table. 
> 
> One was a circular silver shield. The other was a metal arm.

**Author's Note:**

> For your daily dose of Scarlet Vision, I just found this artist on dA who does really sweet Wanda x Vision fanart [like this](http://witch24.deviantart.com/art/VisionXWanda-545473897). The style is simple but very emotive, also be aware there are some mature artworks :)


End file.
